


Part of Being A Hero

by jconway



Category: Captain Marvel (2019)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-04 22:42:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18822244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jconway/pseuds/jconway
Summary: Monica Rambeau thinks about the cost of having a superhero as a mother, both the admirable and the aching.





	Part of Being A Hero

Seventy-four days. It had been seventy-four days since Monica last saw her second mother, Carol Danvers. Granted, there was the time when she was able to call her from a modified communication system but a voice, no matter how soothing, is not as sweet as the flesh.

Monica sat down on the steps of their large front porch, the Louisiana humidity making her hair slightly sticky with precipitation.

Today, she turned fourteen. Fourteen years old and she still missed her mother every night and every day. Carol had visited Monica and Maria only ten times in the past two years and this was the longest stretch so far.

And this stretch in particular would be extending over Monica’s birthday. It wasn’t that Monica was upset her mother would be missing her special day, it was knowing that she was out there somewhere, maybe lost in space…anywhere probably—anywhere but on their front porch.

The front porch where Monica had taken her first steps while holding Carol’s hands according to Maria. The front porch where Monica had gone to cry nearly every night when her mother told her that Carol would not be returning from her mission. The front porch where Monica saw Carol return after six—six long years. The front porch where she had hugged Carol goodbye before she went to aid Talos. The front porch where Carol would come scorching down from the sky whenever she visited. The front porch where she always welcomed her mother home and the front porch where she always said goodbye.

Sitting there alone, looking up at the limitless sky and knowing that she was out there, somewhere perhaps she could never even fathom, was enough to make Monica give her bravest smile. Because she knew that her mother, Carol—Captain Marvel—was not just her mother but a hero. A hero who would sacrifice everything for the ones she loved. And the ones she didn’t really even know. So as Monica stared into that limitless sky one more time, she remembered that merely being loved and remembered by someone with the majesty and power of Carol Danvers was just enough. Just enough to smile. The tightness in her chest would go away, the stinging in her eyes would vanish and the dryness of her throat would disappear. But bad people and bad things never cease, not for anyone in anyplace.

Maria slowly stepped toward her daughter, eventually taking a seat beside her and rubbing soothing circles on her back.

“You know she’d be here in a flash if she could,” Maria said in a voice that Monica didn’t think was too happy either.

“I know,” Monica replied with glossy eyes, “I don’t blame her. I never did. She’s a hero and that’ll never change.”

“She is also your mother and you can allow yourself to be sad, baby,” Maria tilted her daughter’s chin up and nodded reassuringly.

“You don’t get sad when she misses your anniversary, this isn’t any different.” Monica said in a tone of finality as she slowly moved her face from her mother’s hands.

“I know that she’s out there somewhere doing more for this world than she could ever do here and even though it feels like the sky crashing down on me when I miss her, I know she is where she’s meant to be. Your cake is almost done baking, come inside in a few.”

Monica nodded as Maria gave her a soft kiss on her head and went back inside to prepare her cake.

Monica closed her eyes softly and sighed deeply, sucking in as much hot air as she could to keep herself grounded.

“Mama,” Monica began, slowly opening her eyes and tilting her head up to the heavens, “I miss you but I know you’re here in my heart. You’re doing what you have to do. Higher, faster, further. Sometimes we have to go higher than we want, faster than we can handle and further than we’ve ever gone before. That’s where we have to go to be heroes. And you’ve always been my hero, even before you became Captain Marvel. So just come visit when you can and if you can because if you weren’t out there being a hero then you wouldn’t be my mama. I love you.”

“That was a mighty fine speech, Lieutenant Trouble.” A voice said from Monica’s right hand side. “Fine speech but a little unnecessary. I didn’t miss your birthday yet.”


End file.
